Pokeshipping Week 2018
by MyxShipperxHeart
Summary: Seven one shots featuring Ash and Misty that will follow the themes for Pokeshipping Week 2018 on Tumblr.
1. Day one: Brock's role

Pokeshipping Week - Day one: Brock's role in the relationship. (Bonus set.)

* * *

"Red."

"Blue."

"Red."

"Blue!"

Brock was rubbing his temples.

" _Red_!"

" **Blue**!"

"Alright, enough." he held up his hands. Ash and Misty both paused to look at him. He heaved in a sigh and took a step forward, holding out one arm to each of them.

"You two have been going at it for ten minutes. This isn't going to solve your problem."

The pair returned their sights back on eachother and scowled, but didn't say anything. Pikachu was sitting at their feet as well with a couple of confused glances from one to the other.

"I don't see what's wrong with red." Ash remarked.

Misty rolled her eyes. "What's wrong is that blue is a better color."

Ash snorted. "You're right. That _is_ wrong."

"Enough!" Brock played referee as he stepped inbetween them. "Both of you need to learn how to cooperate already. I can't believe this is something to bicker about. It's a simple decision, if you really think about it. And all you two are doing is making it more complicated than it is."

He pursed his lips and looked between them as if they were being a couple of unruly adolescents, despite the fact that they were both well into their twenties now. Some things with these two would never change. And here they were now, glaring daggers at eachother. Their arms were folded against their chests and everything.

That's when Brock suddenly began to laugh under his breath. This distracted both of the other two as they turned to look at him. They exchanged a glance with eachother before looking back to him.

"What's so funny?" Misty asked.

Brock pointed a finger between them. "You guys."

He was shaking his head now as he placed his hands on his hips. "I swear, it's like I've gone back ten years."

"You think he's lost it?" Ash mumbled to Misty, who looked at him and shrugged.

"I haven't lost it, Ash." Brock said through the last of his chuckles. He stepped away from them by now and ran his hand over his chin. Ash and Misty both said nothing as they watched him, curious about where he was going with this.

"Alright," he finally concluded. "Forget about red and blue."

"What?!" they simultaneously exclaimed. But he held up a hand, silencing them both as they began to speak at the same time.

"Forget about red and blue." he repeated. "Neither one. They're off the table. This is the only way to resolve this, so just go with me on it."

Ash and Misty narrowed their eyes suspiciously.

Brock smirked. "What do you guys think about purple?"

They both opened their mouths to speak, but then closed them and glanced to eachother. Their shoulders fell as they seemed to communicate through expressions because the next thing Brock knew, they were finally smiling at eachother.

Ash shrugged a shoulder as he looked inbetween them now. "I guess purple isn't so bad."

Misty nodded her head in agreement. "Yeah, I don't think I mind it either. It might actually work."

Brock crossed his arms with a smile of his own. "There, you see? It all comes down to compromising."

Ash and Misty traded an almost apologetic look with a couple of shy faces.

"Remember that." he pointed out to them. "You two are about to be married. I can't always be here to solve an argument.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Ash waved a hand while Misty smiled over to him.

"I'm just glad we finally decided on a color for the wedding."

"Well... technically Brock decided it for us." Ash corrected her, holding up a finger.

Misty squinted her eyes at him. "Well he wouldn't have to if we weren't fighting about it in the first place, you know."

Brock's face fell as he watched what was happening, holding a hand to his forehead.

"No. Not again."

Pikachu comforted the breeder by placing a paw on his shin. "Chu."

But then Ash and Misty both turned to him, looked back to eachother, and then over to him again.

"Gotcha!" they both pointed to him with a grin. "Just kidding you that time!"

Brock just smiled and wiped his face with his hand, too tired to laugh. Then he looked over to Pikachu and nodded his head back to the others.

"Their kids are gonna be a handful. I just know it."

"Pi." the pokemon crossed his arms, nodding with a smile.


	2. Day two: Possessed Ash

A cloud of black smoke invaded the room.

It canceled out sight altogether as it hovered in the air, preventing anything from being properly seen. Scuffling could be heard before a few coughs that followed it.

"Ash? Misty?" another cough. "You guys okay?"

Brock coughed again as he swung his arm in front of his face. He wasn't met with anything except his own growing confusion. He was quickly becoming dizzy in the head as well, trying desperately to make out anything he could in the thickness of the smoke.

"I'm fine," answered Misty as she stretched her arms out in front her. "Where's Ash?"

"I don't know."

Her hand knocked into Brock's arm, and she gripped onto it so that they wouldn't become separated again. The same look was on Misty's face through the thin layer of haze that hung between them. Both of them were then squinting while they looked around them, calling for Ash again.

"Ash? Come on Ash, this isn't funny." Misty frustratingly called out into the smoke. She waved her hand back and forth in front of her face, searching for him until an unfamiliar voice answered her.

"There is no Ash."

They both froze. The smoke evaporated. It lifted and cleared, leaving the sight of Ash left to them, all the way across the room. But it was a strange vision of him. Misty was on the verge of yelling and throttling the boy into next week, but quickly went from impatient to frightened and tense.

"Ash?" came the sound of her tiny voice. She could hear the quickening pace of their breath.

A low, deep chuckle was her response. One that was definitely not in Ash's voice. It was cold and dark, echoing off of the walls and trapping them just like the smoke previously had done.

Then he raised his head. The sight of it almost threw Misty off of her feet, and even Brock staggered back a step or two. A pair of black eyes were staring blankly ahead of him. Some kind of evil, twisted grin was plastered onto his face while he looked at them, somehow finding them in the emptiness of his gaze.

"He's possessed, Misty," came the breathless realization from Brock. He didn't know how it could've been possible, but that was definitely not his friend. "It's the box.. he opened the box!"

She was silent. Her eyes remained fixated upon him, lost between disbelief and fear of reality. The box that contained a dark force lay open with its ends sprung apart.

"Ash!" her voice raised despairingly as she chanced a step forward, but was prevented from doing anything further as Brock held her back by the arm.

"Don't!" he hissed in a whisper. "That's not Ash!"

Misty yanked her arm free. "What are we supposed to do?! We can't just leave him this way!"

"I'm afraid you don't have a choice." the force drawled out darkly, causing both of them to turn their attention back to him.

"The world you know is about to be conquered, now that I'm free. I've been locked for centuries and now it's finally time to unleash my power."

Misty traded a helpless look with Brock. Both of them were shaking with fear and anger, and even more anger from the fear that they couldn't do anything about. But it was Misty who couldn't take another word and started marching over to him before Brock could hold her back this time.

"Stop!" he called after her.

But Misty wasn't listening as she took a handful of his shirt and was ready to drive whatever it was, out of him. In whatever way she could. Or what she intended to do, anyway. Because Ash felt heavy enough against her hands that he may as well have been stone. She was immediately drained of strength, eyes flashing with confusion.

"Foolish girl," he whispered menacingly. "If you think I'm about to spare you or your friend, then you're sadly mistaken. I have enough power to erase an entire city. And once I have the control of every pokemon that's left, then no one will be able to stop me. Least of all, you."

Misty could feel the evil energy rolling off of his body in raw waves of anger. It was corrupting her senses worse than the smoke had, and she was unable to move. But before she could even think of trying to do anything next, Ash, or whoever this was, had her pinned to the wall by the arms.

"Misty!" Brock called from across the room again. He tried to move, but something held him back from doing so. But he was quicker to make the connection this time. "Let us go!"

Seething hatred lashed before her once again. Ash didn't turn around, but instead let his eyes linger on the redhead. Flames were almost dancing in his eyes.

"There's nothing you can do." he growled venomously. His words broke the anger in her eyes and turned into despair. Brock must have sensed it from across the room, because he was shouting to her in the next moment, hopelessness climbing into his voice.

"Don't listen to him!"

Brock sounded like he was miles away. Misty's eyes were glued to the image of Ash in front of her, unwilling to believe what she was seeing and hearing. Someone or something had as much of an unrelenting grasp of control over his body as much as hers in that moment. And it was the pain of being driven into the jagged wall that brought her back to attention, wincing as it became close to piercing through her skin.

"I know you can hear me, Ash." she whispered as tears began to fill her eyes. "Wake up and fight it."

He laughed and shook his head.

"You know nothing. And because of what you just tried to pull, I'll make sure that nothing will be all that's left of you. Both of you shall witness the great extent of my power for the first and last time."

It was after that declaration that one hand promptly found its way to her neck. Misty squeezed her eyes shut, using her free hand to try and pull it away from her, but to no avail. His grasp was too strong for her limited use of mobility. Brock was yelling at them, but it sounded even farther away now.

"Ashhh-shhhh..." his fingers curled around her neck even tighter. Tears began to slip down her face, falling onto the hand that held her. But then something happened. His eyes flashed from black to brown in a split second, slackening his grip in just that moment. It was only fleeting, however. And it wasn't long before her feet left the ground as he raised her from it.

He was trembling with rage now, holding her above the ground. "My vengeance will prevail, once and for all!"

"Ash..." her voice was a whisper as her struggles to escape were becoming weaker and weaker. And he was sweating, losing the breath in his own chest. Then he let out a loud growl of something that Misty was too disoriented to determine. But that was when she was suddenly flung aside to the ground, and he fell to it himself on all fours.

"Misty!" Brock shouted from across the way. She could hear him running as she took the air back into her. She was unable to vocalize anything just yet, and watched as the other was trying to recover from whatever that was. All she could make out in that moment was a cloud of black smoke expelling from Ash's frame and into the air. But it was Brock and his quick thinking of holding the box open toward the dark cloud, calling it back into seclusion.

"Misty!?" it was Ash's voice this time. And it were his frantic brown orbs that settled over her rattled form upon stumbling over to her. She was visibly shaken, eyes holding his own in a sense that pleaded for what she was seeing to be real this time.

"Misty!" he prompted a second time. He was at his knees in front of her, hands on both of her shoulders and completely disheveled. "Look at me!"

She coughed repeatedly. "Ash?" her teary gaze held his in suspicion, one of her hands placed over her neck. He nodded while Brock was looking over his shoulder and setting down the box as carefully as he could.

"It's me, I'm back. Are you alright?"

Misty waited a moment before answering. His hands were warm on her shoulders this time, and she was careful as she stood back up. Ash followed her every move without taking his eyes off of her. She was watching him back as if expecting him to turn back or speak in that forbidden voice again. But all that she could see in his eyes were fear, nervousness, and relief. Nothing changed or left the impression that it was going to.

But when neither one of those things happened, Misty chanced a step toward him. Ash was just beginning to smile when she suddenly swatted him across the arm.

"Hey!" he exclaimed in surprise. "What was that for?!"

"Don't you ever, _ever_ , do that to us again!" Misty fumed. Steam was nearly pouring out of her ears. "You don't know how stupid you can be sometimes! Next time you know something is cursed, do us a favor and leave it be!"

Ash thought she was about to strike him in the arm again by the look on her face, but then was even more confused when she threw her arms around him. He slowly and fearfully let his own fall around her while keeping her in the corner of his eye. Then he flinched when she pulled back to look at him.

His shoulders dropped out of guilt. "I know, I'm sorry. I'm sorry to both of you. And I never meant to hurt you, Mist. You know I'd never do that."

Misty swallowed and nodded. Her own hands began to tremble as the aftershock of everything treaded on her nerves, and she was only vaguely aware that Ash had taken hold of them.

"You knew it was me, though." Ash couldn't help but grin. "You knew I was still awake."

"Of course I did." Misty sniffed and rolled her eyes before eventually wiping at them. Brock had walked back over to them by then, tired but smiling.

"Glad to have you back, Ash."

He grinned. "Thanks, Brock. It's good to be back."

The breeder slid his hands into his pockets. "What got it out, anyway?"

Ash shook his head. "I don't know. But I could see and hear everything it was doing. It was still me, but I wasn't in control for any of it. And then I saw what it was doing when..."

His eyes flicked back to Misty and he cleared this throat, deciding not to continue.

"I guess maybe I was able to gain enough of my control to kick it out."

Misty softened up slightly when she could see the genuine remorse in that split second glance. That's when she realized that he was still clasping one of her hands and felt a fleeting sense of embarrassment, but didn't draw it away.

"Yeah." she commented, barely audible. "Well.. I'm glad you're back, anyway."

She could see the corners of his mouth pick up in a smile. "I know you are. Me too."

Brock was looking between them both with a painfully restrained smile of his own, knowing exactly what it was that drove out the demon. But he kept his mouth closed about it.

"Well," Misty grunted softly after a minute. "All I know is that if you ever do that again, you'll have more to deal with then some power crazed, ancient lunatic."

He coughed a laugh and nodded. "Understood."

A ghost of a smile graced her features.

"Alright. Now let's get the hell out of here."


	3. Day three: The underwater ballet sequel

_Join us for a spectacular underwater ballet sequel that takes place here in the Cerulean Gym!_  
 _Starring the talented Cerulean Sisters: Daisy, Lily, Violet, and Misty!_  
 _The story takes place in a land filled with water pokemon, owned and cared for by the lovely princess and her prince. They have spent many years in peace and solitude, until it is disrupted by villainous thieves that lurk nearby, plotting to steal the land and pokemon for themselves. Watch the tale unfold in this aquatic love story!_

Ash flipped over the pamphlet in his hands and scanned his eyes over the contents. Words like ' _spectacular_!' and ' _mesmerizing_!' were printed across the pages, while the cover was light blue and decorated with bubbles that splashed along the edges of the paper. Water pokemon could also be seen as they were scattered haphazardly across the pages in various poses. And he could tell Daisy was the one who provided the information, based off of the semi-dramatic description. She always seemed to have a flair for the theater.

They each had a picture of themselves on the last page as well, hovering above the bold text of their name. Misty was the only one, although not terribly surprising, who seemed the least bit interested in having her photo taken. But her head was turned and left the impression that perhaps it was meant to be taken that way and leave an air of mystery. Her eyes were cloaked by her bangs as her head was somewhat bowed down, illuminating the the difference at how her sisters chose to be photographed.

"Man, I can't believe Misty agreed to do this again." Ash chewed his lower lip in thought as he glanced from Misty's photo and to the pool up ahead as they waited for the show to start. The last time he was here, the redhead was all but volunteering on following through with her sisters' idea to supply a part in their play. Although she eventually gave in and leant her participation. And the show was a success, come to find out. Despite Team Rocket making an unwanted appearance by trying to steal their pokemon. Again.

But this time was different. The level of Ash's density wasn't thick enough to keep him from that prediction. Excited chatter spread throughout the anxious crowd around him, echoing his thoughts about the upcoming performance. And Ash could see the silhouettes of the sensational sisters behind the curtains that was just beyond the diving board if he squinted his eyes hard enough. Daisy was dressed in her prince's uniform, while Lily and Violet could be seen hovering somewhere behind her.

And apparently, Brock had noticed it too.

"There they are," he breathed in enamoured astonishment, eyes glowing brightly. "My three lovely ladies, just waiting to debut their beauty in all their breathtaking glory. Look at them, Ash."

He started to elbow the other male, who was near the point of facepalming.

"They exceed the definition of beautiful. I can't wait to see the sensational sisters steal the show with their magnetic charm, calling to my heart with their elegant movements! Filling my ears with the soft sound of their voices once they-"

"Will you shut up?!" Ash pleaded in a loud whisper. The breeder was out of his mind for at least the fourth time that day. Ash lost count on the way up there between Misty's nailbiting and his constant eyerolls over Brock's infatuated behavior with her sisters. It was more than he could take.

"You've been at it all day! Give it a rest already! Sheesh, I hope this never happens to me."

But all he was met with was silence while his eyes remained glued to where the sisters stood. Three of them, anyway. Misty had yet to make an appearance. Ash blew out the last of his frustration through a sigh before casting his own eyes back ahead of him, his knees beginning to bounce from either impatience or nervousness. He was unsure of which.

But at least Brock put a lid on it.

Pikachu sat on his other side, ears suddenly perked up in excitement while he pointed a paw up ahead. "Pikapi! Pika, Pikachupi!"

"Huh?" Ash questioned dumbly, pausing once to glance at the pokemon.

The lights dimmed a second afterward. And Ash didn't have time to see what his companion was looking at before the sound of Daisy's voice boomed throughout the room.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, can I have your attention please! The underwater ballet sequel will now begin!"

That's when Ash saw her for a split second as a light from inside the large pool lit up. A flash of red and turquoise was all he had time to see before he registered that it was Misty as she dived into the water, resembling a mermaid in every way. Cheers erupted at the beginning of the show.

The crowd of people were entranced by it already. The light almost seemed to be moving, casting shadows along the pokemon as they moved. And Misty was ahead of them, leading them through the many wonders of what was meant to be the underwater world. Her arms were outstretched at first, then spread apart to gain a better speed. Dewgong and Luvdisc swam quickly enough to be level with her, their happy expressions matching her own.

"Whoa..." Ash mumbled. His eyes were trained on the scene ahead of him, watching as Misty twisted her lithe body in the water like the pro that she was. Her slender figure was able to swim through the narrow props and spin with graceful ease that was above something Ash could make a comparison to, and her hair fell out in silky waves of red that looked like liquid fire as it surrounded her with every move she made. It contrasted beautifully against her pale skin and reminded Ash of the moon when it glowed in a sky full of stars.

And it was something that didn't escape Brock's notice. He was watching the show as well, giving his appreciation and support, but was nowhere near as invested as his friend since the other sisters hadn't made their appearance yet.

Now it was his turn to make a comment.

"I think you spoke too soon there, pal."

Ash was deaf to it. He would have otherwise defended himself in a split second, shoving away any and all accusations of the statement. But for now, he was speechless. Anytime he would try to speak, it would come out in some kind of gurgled sound as if he were the one undewater.

"Here come the two evil doers, plotting to restrain the princess and her pokemon!"

Ash watched as Lily and Violet, both dressed as thieves, dived into the water soon thereafter. Both of them held up swords and waved them around, slicing through the waves of water. Misty was absent for that moment, likely taking a breath somewhere in the back. But when she returned, Lily had bound her with ropes and tied her wrists together. And it was Violet who could be seen binding the pokemon in a similar fashion. Each of whom pretended to struggle and break free. He looked over to Brock to see if maybe he was having the same thoughts, but couldn't really distinguish anything on his face. Except for the way his jaw was hanging open in awe when the two sisters made their entrance.

That's when Daisy distracted him by the splash she made as she was the last to dive into the pool. Reprising her role as the prince, she withdrew her own sword and slashed away at the ropes that bound the princess and her pokemon. Luvdisc, Seeking, Dewgong and a few Goldeen's swirled about in action, swimming around in frantic motions in a fake Tackle that two of the sisters pretended to fall from.

And before Ash knew it, that was that. All four females swam to the surface of the pool and waved their thanks to the audience, while the pokemon happily danced in circles in the water. His mouth suddenly became dry and he almost forgot to clap along with everyone else. It wasn't until they were all standing up that he realized they were leaving. He couldn't remember having this much of a reaction to the play after the first time he saw it. Random people were bumping into him on his way out, knocking into his shoulders here and there. But he was too caught up in his thoughts to notice.

Brock was smirking the entire way out.

But they finally made it to Misty, who was standing near the back door and wrapped up in a blue towel with Goldeens splashed across the material. Her hair was wet and hung in damp strands around her face, to which she was currently dabbing at to dry with the cloth. But it was the radiant smile on her face that stood out the most as they approached her, watching as she shook hands with those who passed her.

And then Ash was standing right in front of her.

"Ash! Brock! What did you guys think?" her voice started off in excitement at seeing her two friends, then dropped to a nervous quiver into the latter of her question.

"Great! You were fantastic Misty, you really were. Congratulations." Brock was smiling while he offered his full and genuine support of his friend. She smiled gratefully and relaxed, nodding.

"Thank you, Brock. I was nervous that I might not have been able to pull it off this time around. I'm just glad I had more time to rehearse this time, and that you were there. You too, Ash."

Ash had nothing but a tense smile to offer in response. His hand automatically traveled to the back of his head where he combed it up and down, ruffling up his hair.

"Sure thing, Mist."

Brock was smirking again. Ash caught it just as Misty glanced off to see her sisters emerge from the backdoor that led into the stage, giggling and chatting amongst themselves.

That was about the only thing that could wipe the smirk off of the breeder's face, and he soon flocked to their sides along with many other males who shared the same reaction.

Except for Ash, who stood there with a similar expression to the one he had on earlier. Almost all of the men were surrounding the sisters like a herd of Tauros, all talking at once while they took turns kissing each of their hands. Misty was shaking her head with a soft sigh, but translated it into an easy smile.

"Everytime." she commented quietly. Ash waved a hand. "Forget about that. The show was great. And I saw that you were on the advertisement this time, too."

Ash was grinning with a hint of amusement in his eyes. And one that Misty caught onto, immediately flushing in the face.

"I mean.. I'll probably deny ever saying this, but you were pretty amazing." Ash suddenly felt a nervous, self concious wave come over him and casted his gaze elsewhere. The words tumbled out of his mouth before he could even think of it.

And it must have stunned Misty, because she had nothing verbal to return. She only did the one thing she could think of in that moment and nearly bulldozed him over with the tightest hug she could muster.

One that nearly knocked Ash off of his surprised feet.

"Aw jeez, Mist! C'mon, you're all wet!" he squirmed in her arms, earning him a chuckle and an even tighter squeeze from her. But she didn't care. Her arms left two damp imprints on the back of his shirt, while some of her hair managed to dampen a few strands of his own. But she only commanded him to "Deal with it!" through a smile.

And despite his protests, Ash didn't really mind that much.


	4. Day four: Reactions

"Alright, pay up. Fifty bucks is fifty bucks." Brock waved his fingers back and forth with a smirk on his face.

"You're enjoying this a little too much, I think." Dawn grumbled as she fished around in her wallet, pulling out the correct amount of change and handing it over to the breeder.

"Of course I am. It's about time that I can start bragging about it."

Max rolled his eyes. "Oh please! I would hardly call this a fair bet. You knew them way better than we did."

Brock shrugged as he held up the bill and checked it for authenticity. "All's fair in love and war. Which reminds me," he turned back to the younger male.

"I believe you owe me twenty five."

Max grumbled in the same fashion as Dawn had, pulling out a twenty and a five from his own wallet before handing them over. Brock displayed a smug grin as he pocketed the cash.

Tracey was pouting off to the side, knowing his turn would soon come. "I thought for sure I'd have this one in the bag. I mean, I know it wasn't for very long, but I could see the signs. I definitely thought it would've happened alot sooner..."

Brock only shook his head while the sketch artist surrenderd his share. "That was where you went wrong, Trace. Never assume anything with those two. They're two of the most stubborn, argumentative-"

"Don't forget temperamental." Max added.

"Temperamental," Brock repeated. "People I've known. But I'll tell you guys this, the one thing about both of them that they have in common the most is that they're crazy about eachother. I remember when they used to be at eachother's throats _all_ the time. Sometimes I'd have to hold one back from the other just to avoid something I wouldn't have the strength to get them out of. I had a pretty good idea of where things were going, though. Even back then."

Max grunted in exasperation and incoherently mumbled about having an empty wallet to show for it, when a dreamy sigh entered the air.

"So romantic."

All eyes turned to May as she was pulling out a twenty dollar bill for Brock. "I can't say I'm even mad. It sounds too much like a movie or something."

"Please don't start..." Max pleaded grumpily while Dawn snickered.

"Two best friends fall in love with eachother after all of this time," May continued as if she hadn't heard him. "Both denying it until it all comes out in a confession, leading up to the big moment of something that they were putting off for years and years. And then finally... everything falls into place, one piece at a time."

Max threw his hands up in frustration. Brock chuckled.

"I can see that. And I see it as a relief, myself. What a waste it would have been if neither one of them decided to own up to it. Not that it's my business or anything." he shrugged. "But after knowing them for so long, watching their behavior and thinking the same thing over and over all these years, I probably would've meddled in some way or another."

He was sheepish in the face as he struggled to close his wallet and then tuck it away. "After knowing somebody for as long as I've known them, there are just some things that don't need to be guessed at."

Dawn contemplated it for a moment before nodding. "That's a good way to put it. And I guess I should've paid more attention, since I literally paid for it anyway..."

"It's worth it, though," Tracey added. "Even if it wasn't a win. Maybe now at least they won't fight as much. Since that was all apart of them arguing in the first place, right? Everything they've been repressing finally found a way out."

Brock laughed again. "Tracey, Tracey, Tracey..." he shook his head. The other male looked at him curiously.

"Nothing on this earth could ever, _will_ ever, be a strong enough force to keep them from butting heads. It's part of what makes them... well, them. It'll be a part of their relationship in whatever form that is. Whether as friends, dating as a couple..."

"Husband and wife..." May added with a hopeful smile.

"Or husband and wife." Brock included her input as he did with Max. "And it's the same with how they'll always find a way back to eachother. Except now they'll just kiss and make up. For the moment, at least. But they'll make it work, no matter what happens."

May was about to start off on another wistful rant about romance and her hopes for planning a future wedding, but was cut off by Max clamping his hand over her mouth. All of them ended up laughing as his sister eventually dodged his efforts, beginning to dart around the Ketchum living room and express her newfound dreams for her friends. Max was leaping over the furniture and demanding that someone help him to, "save his sanity", but everyone was too busy doubling over with their enthusastic amusement to get involved.

Meanwhile, Ash and Misty themselves both witnessed the scene from afar. They were sitting there in plain view and burning red in the face throughout the entire conversation. The couch was imprinted with their frames by now as they became further embarrassed to it all, sinking directly into the cushions. Neither one of them had any idea that at some point, their friends all agreed to a bet when things would eventually play out. And that just happened to be the result when they both agreed to tell them and get it over with.

Misty had one hand that was linked to Ash's while she held the other one in front of her face to keep from being seen, then mumbled into it.

"I knew we shouldn't have told them."


	5. Day five: Maiden's Peak revisited

"Are we there yet, Ash?" Misty puffed in impatience. She was met with a sharp chuckle from her husband, who was currently guiding her forward from behind with both hands covering her eyes. He had been leading her into an unknown area for the past fifteen minutes, and her skin was beginning to crawl with goosebumps from the slight chill in the evening air. Despite the fact that it was still technically summer.

"Patience, _dear_." Ash stressed to her. He could practically feel her features twist up into one of annoyance, and he had to smile.

"We're almost there."

Almost consisted of about five more minutes of blindly shuffling through the grass. That was until they must have entered some kind of clearing, because the distant sound of music started drifting through the air. It caught Misty's attention at once and she almost came to a halt. Something about it sounded vaguely familiar, and she figured Ash must have sensed it, because he leaned in to speak once more.

"We're getting warmer."

 _Speak for yourself_ , she wanted to say. Misty would have been shivering if it wasn't for Ash's arms draped over her shoulders the way that they were. But soon enough, she was able to pick up on a second source of noise that sounded like a group of people.

And as much as she trusted him, she was beginning to grow slightly anxious.

"Ash, where _are_ we?" Misty demanded through a whisper. She could feel the blades of grass at her ankles while her arms were somewhat outstretched ahead of her now. His hands were still covering her eyes the entire time as he trailed behind her, looking ahead from over her shoulder to make sure he was going the right way. The music faded a little bit and a little bit more with every step they took.

"Just one more minute..." Ash replied quietly. She couldn't see it, but he was looking in all directions for one place in particular before his eyes finally landed on it. A broad smile stretched over his face and he fought to keep his reserve. But they finally entered the clearing that he'd been searching for. He became slightly nervous in that moment and steadied himself, slowly removing his hands and leaning toward the female's ear to whisper.

"Okay... open your eyes."

Misty slowly peeked one eye open, halfway expecting the crowd of people she heard from earlier to be apart of some kind of surprise party. It wasn't often that Ash really surprised her with anything. But she gasped once she realized where exactly she was. The statue of the woman that they encountered from over a decade ago stood before them. The moon was out by now, casting the loveliest glow over the miraculous stone. It was worn with age from the time that passed, darkening it some spots more than others, but it still found a way to shine after so long. The music made sense in that moment as well, filling in the gaps that kept popping up in her mind of her whereabouts.

"Maiden's Peak..." she whispered in surprise. Ash watched as she glanced around herself, trying to hold back a smile as the evidence of everything going through her mind was there on her face.

"Maiden's Peak." he confirmed. Seeing her standing there threw him back to when he was here for the first time. They hadn't been back since that one visit, and it was surreal to experience for a second time. Ash thought it would be perfect since something like this was out of his usual grasp of creativity.

Misty simply nodded as she casted her gaze about her. That's when she noticed the small cluster of tourists that was gathered near the music. Couples of all ages were paired off together, swaying to the soft tune that began to follow the upbeat song that was previously playing. She spotted an older couple dancing together, and she thought of when her and Ash were just kids the first time they were there.

"What made you think of this place?" Misty finally asked. Ash shrugged a shoulder.

"Dunno, really. I know I really wanted to surprise you. And I know you like all that sentimental stuff more than stuff you can wear."

She beamed as she looked back to him. "This is better than any diamond necklace, if you ask me."

Ash felt a burst of pride in hearing her say that. He'd lost count of all the times that he tried to give her some kind of gift, only to have it completely go awry. And he already wasn't known for coming up with the grandest ideas for presents. He would mostly have to consult Brock in the early stages of them dating if whatever he planned to give her would be something smart or stupid. And unfortunately it would usually consist of the latter.

But not this time. "I'm glad you like it, Mist."

"I love it." she ran her hands along the gown of the marble statue.

"I don't know what surprises me more... the fact you remembered this place, or that you remembered our anniversary."

She was smirking now. But it wasn't enough to leave any real room for doubt, the way she was still taking everything in. And it was exactly how she remembered it from the last time. The statue of the maiden was still perched in place, the same musical instruments could be heard in a distant rumble from where they stood, and even the decorations seemed to match what she had in her memory from before. All of it was illuminated by paper lanterns that hung above them on a line of string, along with the ones that drifted out in the ripples of water as they were carried into the distance of the sea.

"Have a little faith in me for once, will ya?" Ash rolled his eyes before countering it with a grin. He was leaning against a ledge, arms folded over his chest. She looked back to him and slowly shook her head in content disbelief.

Then she grinned a teary smile at him. "I do, Ash... and it's just as beautiful as it was the first time."

Ash smiled back and let his eyes settle on her pretty face. "It's not the only thing here that's beautiful."

Misty's eyes teared over. Ash was rarely the type to ever compliment her. Of course, she knew his feelings for her were always shown through the sincerity of his actions more than his words. But he was getting better at it over time. And Misty appreciated it whenever something as genuine as that ever came from him.

She then walked over to him and clasped his hands into her own. He was a bit red in the face, but didn't hide himself from her view. A smile tugged at his lips as he stood back to his full height and glanced down at his wife. He then proceeded to place her hands around his waist, leaning his forehead to her own.

"Want to dance? I can't promise that I'll be any better at it since the first time we were here. But we can." he whispered through the crack of a grin. Misty almost felt as light as the paper lanterns that were floating in the water behind them as she nodded. This time, it was Ash who took the lead in taking her by the hand and slowly easing her onward. It conjured a series of flashbacks to when they were kids and Misty had been the one to suggest the two of them have a dance.

But Ash was her husband this time around. And instead of their dancing being fast paced and vigorous, it was slow and concentrated. She even spied Gastly make its presence known once or twice from across the ocean. A part of her wondered if it was the same one, but the fear of the ghost pokemon didn't come. It seemed unlikely and probable all at once. As she was thinking on it, a few Baby's Breath flowers cascaded down onto them from out of nowhere. It was a world of difference, making everything seem even more surreal than it already was. Almost as if the creature knew. It was simply magical.

That's when Ash's voice broke through her thoughts.

"Happy Anniversary, Mist."

She turned her head and nuzzled it into the crook of his neck, then watched as the Gastly she suspected to be the same one from all those years ago wink at her before disappearing into the air. Warmth filled her chest and stomach as a sense of knowing and love washed over her before looking up into the familiar brown eyes of her husband.

"Happy Anniversary, Ash."


	6. Day six: Role reversal

"Keep up, Ash! We have at least an hour to get to the beach before the sun sets."

The male trailed behind her, a scowl promptly falling over his features as he hurried to stay level with her while they weaved their way through a small crowd of people.

"I'm going as fast as I can, here. I don't know anything about this place or where anything is!"

Chatter would've been right next to his ear if he stopped and listened. Tents and open shops were right next to eachother, barely allowing any space for more than one person to wander by. It was a mad sea of people browsing through clothes and small items to take back with them from wherever it was they came from. Merchandise was all he could see if it wasn't someone he'd inadvertently bump into along the way to the redhead's destination.

"That's kind of the point. And that's why we should have left earlier and not stopped for malasada's." Misty casted a sidelong glance at him.

But his expression was nothing short of indifference.

"You can't blame me for that. They smelled delicious."

She rolled her eyes. "Yes, I _can_ blame you. I'm just not surprised your nose works faster than your brain does."

Ash was about to retort when Misty stepped up her pace. He jogged to keep up again, holding one hand over his hat to keep it from falling off. Pikachu even had to hop down from his shoulder and travel with them on foot. And Ash had to duck and dodge from running into people again, trying to keep Misty in his sights as they moved ahead.

"How come Brock gets to stay behind and I have to be dragged out here anyway?"

Misty snorted. "Because Brock can't keep his eyes of off anything in a bikini. And the last thing I need is for him to distract me with his insane comments about trying to find a _Mrs. Brock Harrison_."

Ash could see Misty use the air quotes from behind. But he shook his head and hurried onward.

"I don't see what the big deal is," he grumbled once he caught up to her. The scent of the ocean came into the air while a few Wingull's and Pelipper's flew around above them. "Why can't you use any of the pokemon that you already have?"

"The big deal is that I want to compete in the Island Trials, and I want it to be with a pokemon that I've caught from Alola. There's only so much time we have left for that."

"We have a week!" Ash exclaimed.

Misty stopped and faced him, almost causing him to walk right into her. "Right. That means a week to find exactly the right pokemon and train it to be as strong as I can, and then use it to compete in the trials. It'd be too easy to use one that I already have. I know it sounds impossible, but I really want to push myself into something else I've never done. You know how important this is to me. I've worked myself to the bone since the Orange Islands."

She looked over to him after a moment, tired and almost pleading. Misty wanted Ash's company but wouldn't speak of it. He didn't know it, but his support was a big part in how she was able to be where she was today. As much as he drove her crazy with his stubborn attitude sometimes, he was ultimately somebody that she trusted and respected. And for him to believe in her was something else that was important to her.

"Are you with me?"

Ash exhaled a breath. He knew there would be no reasoning her into any other decision, but he was still with her and whatever she came up with wanting to do. And it was difficult to think where he'd find himself if he decided to turn back.

"Where else am I gonna go?" he offered with a tired grin.

"Good." Misty resolved with one in return. "Now let's keep going."

"Boy, I don't know how you do it, Mist," Ash commented as they resumed their pace and started to enter the sandy area. "All this work and no play would probably drive me crazy..."

She smirked. "That's probably for the better. Look, we're here."

And they were. The sight of the ocean came into their view, stretching out for miles and miles. Sounds of the waves crashing and splashing gently against the sand could be heard from where they were standing as well. There were only a few people populating the place, scattered about here and there. Ash assumed it was because they probably all lived here and could have the luxury of coming here anytime they wanted. And it was tempting not to jump right into the ocean and see what kinds of pokemon lurked around underneath. He'd be lying if he said that it didn't spark his interest in just the slightest. Maybe he could see what Misty was so determined for after all.

But he was snapped out of his reverie as she could be seen and heard looking around in her bag.

"Just think, Ash," she started as she pulled out her fishing rod. "We're one step closer to another challenge."

"You mean _you_ are," he corrected her, folding his arms. "I'm just waiting for you to fix my bike."

Misty ducked her head as he smirked. It was always a sore subject, and something that'd usually put a stop to any argument about to take place. Her Seel had just learned Ice Beam at the time, and it was Ash's bike that had unfortunately been an unintentional target at that moment by the river where she first began to fish.

But her slight guilt and embarrassment came to halt when she realized she couldn't find the one key item she needed to get any fishing done.

"What?" prompted Ash once he noticed the panic stricken look come across her face.

"I can't find my lure." she mumbled. She opened up her bag and started digging through the things she had inside of it a little more forcefully than before. The sound of her pokeballs could be heard rolling around and clinking against other various objects.

"I... I think I left it back at the pokemon center." she immediately started to pat herself down to check her pockets.

"No no no no..."

Ash paused. "Hang on a sec."

He shrugged off his backpack while Misty watched him with a worried expression. He was rummaging around until his hand hit something small with a sharp tip, then grinned to her.

"Got it." he pulled out his lure of her and held it up.

Relief washed over her like one of the waves in the ocean behind them. Misty lit up with a smile and quickly accepted it, holding it in the palm of her hand. It was definitely that one lure that she gave him all those years ago. There were some chips in it, but something that would still work.

"I remember this!" she exclaimed, lost in the moment. Ash was smiling while his chest puffed with pride.

"Yeah... I carry it with me all the time. Comes in handy."

Misty's eyes were sparkling while she still looked at it. She could recall the day and time when she first gave it to him. It was a gesture of friendship, and maybe a little something more from her side of the fence. But he didn't know, of course. And she couldn't tell if she was more happy that she had a backup lure, or the fact that it meant enough to Ash for him to keep it with him.

She decided on both. "Thank you, Ash. This will be perfect. I can't believe you still have it."

She was looking at him with bright eyes and a wide smile after that. It caused a flurry of unidentified emotions to stir in his chest, rivaling the pride that was previously there before. Misty was completely unaware of this as she gazed at the item in awe. But then he cleared his throat and glanced away as he started to become red in the face.

"Yeah, so... you gonna use it or what?"

Misty was still smiling as she extended her fishing rod and fixed the item on the end of the line. "Definitely."

She took a step forward but stopped once she realized he hadn't moved. All he did was stand there with what Misty unknowingly assumed to be a sunburn forming over his tan cheeks.

"Aren't you coming?"

He shook his head, fiddling with his backpack as he zipped it back up. "You go on ahead. I'll be there in a minute."

Misty eyed him suspiciously, but didn't press for details. "Alrighty. See you in a few."

Ash let his arms drop once her back was to him. He was still somewhat flustered, but watched as she headed forward and stopped at the ocean line, flinging the fishing line into it. She was tall and petite at the same time, determined as ever. He could see it in the way she stood. It was the most natural sight to see Misty in her element, taking yet another step toward something that Ash knew was extremely important to her. And she never failed to amaze him with her feats of strength and endless resolve. He would never admit it, but she was more inspiring to him than any of the world famous pokemon trainers or elite four members.

He allowed the feeling to settle in his chest as he took the rare moment to absorb his thoughts. Now that he's known her for so long, he couldn't imagine where he'd be if they never crossed paths. There was just something about her that provoked his curiosity since the beginning. He thought back with a grunt of laughter at how unbearable he first thought her to be, and how much has changed about her since then. Especially the way he knew he was starting to see her.

And he was too wrapped up in his thoughts to notice that Brock was now approaching him from behind. He struck out with the girls in the place at least a dozen times, and thought it best to find the other two and give it a rest for the day. But he didn't know what he was walking into until the closer he got to his friend.

And who his eyes were on.

"Enjoying the view?" came his smug voice. Ash jumped and turned around, coming into sights with Brock. And he was convinced that the taunting smile on his face was reserved just for him. Even Pikachu gave him a look that somewhat resembled the way the breeder sounded as if he too knew what was going on. But he had nothing to defend himself with this time. Ash just grumbled and turned back around, pulling his hat down low over his "sunburned" face.

"Shut up."


	7. Day seven: We can't be together

Misty sat with her hands clasped in her lap. A nervous flutter filled her stomach as she swept her gaze across the view she had of the ocean, hearing the sounds of Pidgey's and Pidgeotto's throughout the air. The table she was seated at resided near the beach in a little restaurant that was tucked away out of the city. Misty loved it because it was family owned, and decorated with seashells and a sandy floor. And where she currently sat allowed her a spacious view of the outdoors, almost with a full guarantee of privacy. It somewhat resembled a balcony that came complete with a railing that overlooked the ocean for anyone who wanted to see it. And it was one of those places that you would have to be looking for to find, otherwise you wouldn't have known it was there at all.

She glanced down at her hands and placed them on the table, beginning to fidget with the items over the cloth in a nervous habit. It was making her feel ridiculous the more she did it. And the only reason for that was because she was expecting to see Ash for the first time in five years. She had no idea where he was most of time or what he was doing, and if she did, it was because she saw him on television somewhere. And it was strange to think that she would be seeing him in just a few minutes. At first she battled with anger and frustration out of how long it took him to pick up the phone, but then wondered if the frustration was from the apprehension over how much has changed in her own life. All because it wasn't as publicized as his was, which meant that she would have alot more to fill him in on than he would.

More specifically to do with the silver band on her left ring finger.

The wind chimes rattled as the breeze blew by in the midst of her thoughts. She wondered what he'd say to her. It was a call that came out of nowhere, taking her by enough surprise that he had to ask if she was still on the line. Misty could recall nearly dropping the phone. It took her a moment to respond, which was mostly in a clumsy rush of agreement before she could sit down and properly think of thinking in itself. After that, it was nothing but a strenuous week of agonizing stress and debate over everything that she'd eventually have to tell him. It was already ruined for her before his visit even began.

"Misty?" came a familiar voice. She froze at once and turned her head, seeing Ash only standing a few feet away. And then it was as if everything in her mind suddenly fizzled out from the sight in front of her.

He was more tall and handsome than she expected him to be, casually dressed in jeans and a white shirt that put his now broad shoulders on display. His hair was no longer concealed by his famous league hat either, but free to the wind as some of the strands lightly blew across his tan face. Which had a wide smile stretched across it. He was completely different from what she would see when he was on some television screen with a microphone being pointed in his direction. She was glad that no one seemed to recognize him after he arrived.

And Misty was barely up and out of her seat to greet him before Ash beat her to it in two long strides, collecting her into his arms.

"It's good to see ya, Misty." he spoke through a smile. He was nose-deep into her hair, breathing in her strawberry scent. It was a very unexpected act on his behalf because Ash was hardly ever the type to show any kind of affection whatsoever. But she literally welcomed him with open arms.

"It's good to see you, too."

He pulled back to get a closer look at her. And he wasn't just looking at her, but he was looking _down_ at her. She felt the strange sensation of having to tilt her head up to gain a better view of him. And it didn't hit her until that moment.

"You're taller than I remember." she admitted.

Ash smirked. "Maybe you've just gotten shorter."

"Maybe you shutup and sit down before you end up shorter than me again."

He laughed as he slid into his chair, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Well, you certainly haven't changed."

It was Misty's turn to smirk as she took her own seat. He was staggeringly handsome in that moment as he casually sat opposite her with his arms on the table, and his fingers laced together. The excitement in his eyes also complimented the attractive smile on his face. It was difficult not to stare. But she was used to ignoring things like this. Or trying to, anyway. By now it only reminded her of all the comments from women she'd either read in magazines, or hear somewhere in places like the grocery store about how "devastatingly gorgeous" and "absolutely charming" he was. It made her stomach turn.

But again, she ignored it.

"I don't know about that. It's been five years, after all."

His eyebrows jumped, his eyes flashing with surprise. "Has it really been that long?"

Misty smirked, nodding. It was typical of him to not have realized it. Too many thoughts were coming to mind, all the while she tried to maintain a casual front and carry on as normally as her composure would allow. But she pursed her lips into a grin and glanced out to the water before looking back to him again.

"So.. what have you been up to all this time?"

He shrugged. "Same old thing, really. I've been going back and forth from place to place. Sometimes I don't even know where I'm waking up."

Then he grunted a laugh. "The days go by faster than a Quick Attack."

"That sounds about right... I wouldn't imagine the schedule of the pokemon master to be any different." Misty reflected with honesty.

"It's not so bad." Ash waved a hand. "Not today, anyway. I took it off."

She raised an eyebrow. Now _that_ was unlike him. "You, take a day off? You never do that."

"Like you said, Mist. It's been five years."

Misty couldn't read his expression after that. The smile was gone from his face, but it was still somewhere in his eyes. Almost as if he knew something that she didn't.

But she didn't have time to think on it before he spoke again.

"What about you? What are you doing these days? Still at the gym?"

Misty swallowed and glanced away again. "Actually, my sisters are running it now. I haven't been there for a while. I help out when I can but I've mostly been doing alot of research on water pokemon."

This seemed to surprise him. "Wow, really? So you're not a gym leader anymore?"

"I've just gotten tired of having the same routine." she shrugged. "I wanted to try something different for a change."

Ash blinked, then shook his head while a half smile came over his face. "I'm kinda surprised to hear that. But it's great. I'm glad you found something to do that makes you happy."

She eyed him for a second, then briefly shifted her gaze to the ocean. "I mean.. yeah. You would have known if you called every once and a while."

She tried to keep the irritation and bitterness from her voice by smirking. But to her surprise, he simply glanced down and nodded.

"I knew you were gonna bring that up."

She folded her arms. "And why wouldn't I? You know good and well that I can't just sit here and pretend it hasn't been as long as it has. And here you come, waltzing in like nothing's changed."

Ash recoiled from hearing the very familiar tone of anger creeping into her voice. Even though there was a part of him that expected it. But he was hoping for something a little less... accusatory.

"I'm sorry, Misty." he said, dropping his shoulders.

She scoffed. He looked the way he used to whenever he knew he screwed up, but it wasn't enough to fix the problem between them. Not this time.

"I really have been busy, you know.. it's not like I didn't want to or anything."

"You've got a funny way of showing it, I'll say that for you." she was becoming more irate the more she spoke. "And where do you get off with any of that in the first place? Like I'm just going to take that as an acceptable excuse for why we haven't spoken for this long? Are you _that_ crazy?"

Ash blinked in the middle of her rant. "Sheesh, Mist, I knew you were gonna be kind of angry, but I didn't think you'd go this nuts on me-"

Her voice started rising. "Excuse me? _Kind_ of angry? I have every right to-"

"Hey, hey, settle down!" Ash held up his hands and tried to diffuse her igniting temper with them by showing his surrender.

"I get it, alright? You're pissed. You have every right to be. But for Arceus' sake, the whole world doesn't need to know it." he glanced toward the inside of the restaurant to make sure no one heard them before he looked back to her. Except her expression hadn't changed.

His eyes looked into hers for some kind of answer.

"What's gotten into you? Are you really this upset? I wish you would have said something when I called, because I never meant to-"

"I'm married."

Ash stopped his sentence cold in his tracks. The color drained from his face, his gaze holding hers in an unblinking stare. Any previous thought he was having before that instantly vanished on the spot. Some kind of numbness was all he could feel in that moment, and everything around them faded into silence that was both too loud and quiet at the same time.

He felt like he was just verbally slapped in the face.

"Married?"

She hadn't meant to say it as abruptly as she did. But the pressure was getting to her faster than she could stop it. And Misty could see the disbelief over it rising in his eyes. Some kind of guilt manifested itself and sunk in the pit of her stomach when she nodded a moment later, then moved her hand to keep the ring on her finger from his view. She didn't like the way it was making her feel. And it was clearly having an effect on him.

Clearing her throat, she whispered. "Yes."

Ash blinked. His mind was completely void of all thought with just that one word. He opened and closed his mouth a few times before swallowing, then leaned back in his chair, shocked.

But he covered it up with a grin that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Wow, Misty.. congratulations."

Misty sighed, unable to even fake one in return. She didn't know why he bothered. The tension in the air was so thick that she could practically see it.

"Who is he?" came his fully expected question.

She glanced down and turned the ring over her finger, as she often did whenever she became anxious. She always wondered if and when this moment would ever come. It was a conversation she didn't want to have, but knew she needed to at the same time. The thought of it alone haunted her ever since the day it became something to talk about.

"Rudy."

Ash nearly fell out of his chair. "What?!"

"Rudy, Ash..." Misty answered quietly. "From Trovita-"

"I know who he is, Misty." Ash cut in sharply. "Kind of hard to forget. The guy damn near married you the first time we made it there."

He ran his fingers through his hair and shook his head, missing the look of anger and confusion on Misty's face. Then he exhaled a breath of laughter that was void of any humor.

"I guess he was just waiting till I was out of the picture, huh?"

Misty blinked. "What?"

"You heard me."

"Yeah, I heard you, Ash. What I want to know is what you meant by it."

He glanced away. He wasn't ready to answer that just yet. And he was still angry at discovering this new piece of information, completely lost for anything at all after hearing it. All he could do was blink and barely even remember to breathe. It was one of those moments where he almost had to question if that's what he actually heard. The only sound in his ears at that moment was his own beating heart thrashing against his ribcage, and the blood in his ears coming to a boil.

"When?" he whispered.

Misty paused. She forced herself to allow some room to accept the way he was responding to everything, and took a deep breath before answering.

"A year ago."

It slowly began to process for him. Right away, he started going through everything in his mind about it and how isolated it was beginning to make him feel. Which was already stretching his emotional limits on top of what he was experiencing in the first place.

"What about Brock? Does he know? Was he... was he _there_?" the last word came out heavier than the rest, leaving a very bitter taste in his mouth at the thought.

Misty was losing her resolve. Her eye twitched once, her eyes narrowing at him from across the table.

"Brock wasn't able to make it. He was with his family on the Orange Islands. Which you would've known, if you bothered to call him. But I guess you haven't been talking to him very much, either."

Ash hardened his gaze. "He could have told me. _You_ could have told me."

Misty's cheeks flushed with anger. And that's when the rest of everything came flooding out; all the resentment for his lack of communication over the years, and the toll it took on her to keep it contained. But it was his sudden defense over his thoughtless actions and careless words that sent her over the edge.

"It's not his place to tell you. It's mine. And how would I be able to do that anyway? How would _any_ of us? You're in another region every other day, Ash! And you haven't exactly been keeping in contact with me."

Now it was Ash's turn to become red in the face. He knew she was right. He had as bad of a habit of picking up the phone as he did with remembering to turn off the light when he left a room. His mother often chastised him for it, but he expected that. What he didn't expect was it to come from other people, too. But the stubborn side of him refused to accept the blame.

"It's not like I do it on purpose, you know. I'm doing something practically day and night."

"So what made you call me this time then? Hm?" she challenged with a folded set of arms.

Silence.

Ash began to fidget with his fingers, picking and pulling at the gloves on his hands. His head was ducked as well as he glanced off the side to watch the ocean and desperately organize his thoughts. He wanted to look at anything but her right now. This was definitely not the way he envisioned this visit to go. Everything in him felt like it sunk to the floor, pulling all of his feelings down with it. But he could still feel her eyes on his face, burning a hole right through him. He had no idea where to even start.

"It's not like I haven't thought about it, you know." he eventually mumbled to the water.

She furrowed her eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

He turned back to look at her.

"I've thought about calling you before. But I never knew what to say. You're the hardest person for me to talk to, you know that?"

Misty's mouth fell slightly open, unsure how to feel about that. But he continued before she could say anything.

"I'm not good at this, Misty. I'm the worst person to be sitting here and talking about this kind of thing. Because I never do it. But I'm doing it now."

He sighed, rubbing his hands over his face. Then he paused and shook his head.

"Look, the reason I called you, the reason I came here today was because I decided I wanted to tell you that-that..."

He was stuttering, then swallowed and looked down. "I've thought about you alot over the years. And everytime I did, I felt this kind of... weird hole in me. I didn't know what it was. Not until recently, anyway. Not until I figured it out."

"Figure out what?" Misty asked cautiously.

Ash drew in a long breath. He was prepared to tell her this already, but not in this particular situation. He had it all planned out in his mind and now he couldn't remember a single word of it. But he had no choice except to try and explain himself anyway.

"Figure out that maybe I was a little slow in understanding the way I feel about you. And that I thought I should be here to say it to you face to face, and not over the phone. I didn't want our first conversation in five years to be about something I've said into a million microphones already. And you don't know how hard it is for me to finally be sitting here after all this time, telling you something that I never thought I could ever say."

"Yes I do."

He stopped after a moment and looked up, surprised to see that Misty had a thin trail of tears streaming down her pale cheek.

He was paralyzed to do much else after that but stare. "What do you mean?"

Misty sniffed, quickly wiping her eyes. "What do you mean, what do I mean? You think you're the only one who's been doing any thinking over the past few years? I've had my thoughts and feelings too, you know. And now you suddenly decide to come back and tell me something that I've been waiting for you to say since we were-"

Ash immediately interrupted at her words. "You waited? What do you mean, you waited?"

She gave him a pointed look. Her cheeks were still red from the aggravation.

"You still obviously don't do enough thinking," she sniffed once. "Yes, I waited, Ash. I've waited for years."

His eyes locked on her, the insult flying right over his head. Everything was coming out too quickly for him to keep up and all he could focus on was what she had to say about this.

"Why... why didn't you tell me?"

"I couldn't." she looked away and wiped her eyes again. "I was afraid to risk our friendship. Besides, you had too much going on at the time as it was. And apparently you still do. But I thought that maybe you'd keep me in your life like you told me you would."

Guilt burned in his stomach after that. But he still shook his head, refusing to let himself feel it. He could already tell it was something he'd come back to later. How reckless and thoughtless he was to let himself ignore that part of him. And sub consciously, at that. Because this was something he knew he never would have done on purpose.

And he was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't realize she left the table to stand against the railing. Her back was all that faced him in that moment. He quickly exited the chair and moved to stand next to her, only she wouldn't look at him.

"I couldn't wait forever." she continued quietly without looking at him.

"Misty, don't..." Ash whispered.

He knew she was crying when she looked the other way and shook her head again. The sight of it alone was enough for his own eyes to tear up.

"Please.. _please_ don't."

"Stop, Ash."

But he couldn't. He reached out and gently clasped her shoulder, which she responded to by pulling away from it. Then he saw both of her hands reach up to her face to undoubtedly wipe the tears that were definitely there again.

He swallowed as his lip trembled. This time, he moved around to the front of her. She tried to move away again but he wouldn't let her. Misty resisted at first and made to turn the other way, but Ash ultimately prevailed in pulling her into his arms. She gave in after a few seconds and wept into his shoulder. Ash accepted it without protest. It was a mixture of both sad and angry tears, and guilt for the way she let herself become so carried away with him. Part of her yearned to stay where she was and never move again, and also smack him one for putting her in this position in the first place. She had a hard time hearing that he finally returned her feelings for him after all of this time.

It was when she felt his fingers begin to stroke her hair that she pulled back.

"How could you do this to me? After all these years?" the tears were still flowing down her face. Ash reached out to try and remove them, but she pushed his hand away.

"Five years, Ash... _five_." she shook her head. A tear managed to slip down his own face by that point.

"But you still did nothing, and you could have. I would have answered. I would have said yes."

Shame overcame her at that moment. Misty was torn between her loyalty to Rudy, and her unresolved feelings toward Ash. Everything she'd been pushing down for so long was finally coming to the surface. And it was everything he was seeing unravel right in front of him.

"Misty..." a very selfish thought came to him. One he couldn't keep himself from asking.

"Do you still have those feelings? Do you still love me?"

She looked at him once, then glanced away.

"Yes."

If it was possible for Ash to feel any worse than he did, it was that moment. Part of him immediately wished she hadn't so that it might've made it easier for him to walk away. Because now he knew that she loved him after all, and that's what he wanted to hear. But not like this. Not if it meant he couldn't have her in his arms the way that Rudy could. The thought of him alone was enough to nauseate him. But there wasn't room for jealousy just yet. He was still full with the shock that still lingered from her confession.

Then he kissed her. It was a complete, last minute impulse on his behalf. Too many thoughts clashed with his feelings and he had to do something about it before they consumed him entirely. But it wasn't a simple mouth to mouth lip lock. It was a yearning that broke through the barrier that both of them put up between eachother since their early years of friendship. And it was beyond anything that either one of them were prepared for; Misty was caught off guard once his mouth claimed hers. Ash gently tangled his fingers into her hair while his hand fell to the side of her face, keeping it against her porcelain cheek.

A dizzying rush of adrenaline came over her. Misty had dreamt of what his lips would feel like after all this time spent between them, and what she created in her mind couldn't compare to actuality. She knew it was wrong but she couldn't help herself. Her arms somehow managed to wrap around his neck while his were now drawn around her small waist. He pulled back at the same time she would, then leaned in less than a second later to bestow another that lasted even longer than the first. It was confusing, magnificent, and devastating all at once.

She didn't know how long they stayed like that. Ten minutes felt like ten seconds at the same time. Misty thought of all the times she waited for something like this to happen, but under acceptable circumstances. Not when she promised herself to somebody else. And it wasn't until her conscience was practically screaming that at her that she finally pulled away. Both of them were panting slightly, and then the knot came back into her stomach. Misty drifted apart from his arms and placed one hand on his chest, pushing him back as she took one step away from him.

"We're not doing this, Ash. We can't."

Ash couldn't look away from her. She was so unbelievably beautiful, and he was so unbelievably stupid. Nothing would've ever made up for his lack of common sense to do what he should've done a long time ago.

"I'm.. I'm sorry, Misty." he whispered.

"I'm sorry too, Ash. I'm sorry that you came all this way to be disappointed. But I do love you. A piece of me will always love you, and I struggle with it everyday. I don't know how to look at my husband and not feel ashamed that I thought I loved him because I thought he could take the pain away. And for a while, he did. But that still wasn't enough. Because seeing you now erased any progress that I've ever made. Which hasn't been very much to start with."

She could feel another rise of emotion coming up to her face, and that's when she quickly brushed past him.

"I love you, too." he couldn't stop himself from saying. And it was the tone in his voice that stopped her, and she turned partway to face him. It was the first time he's ever said it to her. Both of their faces now resembled the other by the wet track of fresh tears.

Misty could see the genuine remorse and truth to his words, as much as she believed that he was seeing it for himself in her. It was one of those rare moments when they were feeling the same thing at the same time. Except it might've been harder for her to confront something that's plagued her for years, knowing that what she wanted could have existed.

And it took every ounce of strength for her to continue.

"I know that now. And maybe I can put this behind me in some way. I don't know if I will, but I have to try. We both do."

Her voice was cracking.

"I love you.. but we can't be together."

Misty couldn't stay after that. She feared that if she was alone with him for another minute, that he would be able to talk her into leaving with him. And it guilted her to know that it wouldn't take much more. She wanted to do the right thing, and that's what she tried to do. It's what she always did. She glanced one more time into his brown eyes, willing herself not to lose her composure again. And it was easy to tell that Ash was in no better shape at hearing it than she was at saying it.

But he trusted her. Ash loved her more than anything. He was realizing just how much with every second. And if this is what it took to make her happy, then he would have to step aside this time. He would never do anything to intentionally hurt her. Physically or emotionally. He had to ignore the feeling of what brought him here in the first place, and let Misty do what it was she wanted to do, and what she felt was right. It was because of that reason that he didn't try and stop her this time.

He only watched her figure disappear into the crowd of people inside.

A/N: I know this one was a little angsty, but I hope you all still enjoyed it. Thank you to everyone for the kind reviews, and Happy Pokeshipping Day! :D


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